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I.ContemporaryAmericanSocietyandPolitics
ofemployment,addressedthisissue,althoughfromtheoppositeperspective:“Ihave
agoodtimeandtheatmosphereisgood,butthisisatworkonly”(F).Tetypeof
employmentalsoinfluencesthenatureofworkers,socialcapital.Intheirpresentjobs
fourteenpeopleareemployedfull-time,whiletheremainingvedoeitherovertime
orworkpart-time(academicsorcaregivers).
Tetwoimportantcriteriaformeasuringsocialcapitalintheworkplaceareedu-
cationandthekindofworkperformed.Terespondentsarewell-educated,withthe
vastmajority(13)holdingM.A.degreesoritsequivalent,someofwhichwereearned
fromAmericanuniversities;twopeoplearecompletingtheirPh.D.degrees.Among
thoseholdingB.A.degrees(6)twopeoplearecompletingtheiruniversityeducation
intheUSA.Althoughthepositionstheimmigrantsoccupyatworkareofenincom-
patiblewiththeireducation(becausetheyarelower),theirperspectivesandinterests
aresimilartothosewithaformallyhighereducationlevel,thereforebringingthese
peopleclosertogether.11
Teintervieweesoccupyvariousjobpositions:auniversityteacher,aphysiothera-
pist,anofceworker,amachineoperator,self-employed,ababysitter,acaregiver
(lookingaferelderlypeople),aninterpreterandaliteratureteacher,“amother”(just
gavebirth),amachineoperator,aconstructionworker,aorist,anaccountant,and
ITspecialist.Teblue-collarsallchose“co-workers”astheircontactsatwork,andalso
addedtheircommentstothisquestion.Tewhite-collarsusuallymake“friends”and
“closefriends”atwork.
Teemployer,beitapersonoracompany,alsohasinfluenceontheformationof
socialtiesamongtheemployees.Teymayeitherfacilitatesocializingbytheirnature
(hospital,university)orhinderit(impersonalcompanieswithalotofinformation
technology).Almostalloftheintervieweesworkforbigcompaniessuchashospi-
tals,hotels,ofces,universities,insurancecompanies,largemanufacturers,nancial
advisories,andgovernmentagencies.Fourpeoplelookaferbabiesorelderlypeople.
Toseemployedbybigcompanies,eitherasblue-collarsorwhite-collars,chosemany
optionstodescribethenatureoftheircontacts.Terewerenocomplaintsfromthe
peopleemployedbysingleemployerseither.Onthecontrary,theymanagedtoestablish
thestrongestsocialbondswiththeirbossestheymadeclosefriends:“Wearelike
afamily:co-workersandbosses”(M);“TeofceIworkinisactuallyaone-woman
company;Iamusuallyalonethere,mybossspendsthereanhourortwodaily,but
sheismyrealfriendIknowIcanrelyonherforallmyproblems,eveniftheyare
personal.Wedon,tofenmeetthough,onlywhenwesupportourkidsintheirhobbies
oratveryimportantfamilyevents”(P);“Iaminverygoodrelationswitheverybody
hereIknowIamtheirmaidbuttheytreatmelikefamily”(R).Oneoftherespondents
wasabosshimself;hesays:“Inmycasemyco-workersaremyemployees;weworkin
ateamofsixpeoplewhosharesimilarinterestsandgoals”(H).Hecallshisemployees
closefriends:“Icancountonthemalsowhenitcomestopersonalproblems;wemeet
outsidetheworkplace,forexample,wevisiteachother”(H).
11Probablythemajorityofimmigrants,degreescomefromPolishuniversitiesandarenotrecognizedby
Americanemployers.